The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-19

received when he arose, and throughout his
speech he was enthusiastically applauIed.
He said:
Fcabw-citizens-It always affords me pleas
ure to appear before At Democratic audience
in Louisiana, but | confess that the extraor-
binary and exceptional circumstances under
which this meeting is called-it being called
III advance OF any nominating convention
admonish me that we have to take counsel
with each other, not IS, regards our enemy,
in our own ranks, which every good Demo-
crat should regret and should seek to allay
by sober words, considerate deliDcratior and
dispassionate discussion. II our honest
Judgment and unbiased convictions lead MS
to differ, that is no, reason why we should
forget that we are brother Democrats and
brother Lonlsianlans, having common
rride and q common destiny, nor is it q
| reason why either side should claim iifal! Ii
bility of Judgment, superior morality, aud q
| monopoly Of ali the virtues. The interests Of
the people are paramount to the claims Of any
individual. 1t is the fate OF the people, and
not that Of any individual, that is involved
in our political controversies. Under our
| abnormal conditions, 1t IS natural that the
great masses of the people. whose conyic-
tons are always honest, should differ upon
questions affecting their ell-being. In fact,
this is one of the vitaliziI.g forces in our So
cial organism. 1t is to prevent that this
force shall be perverted by ambitious men to
sions. The State, the Commonwealth, her
welfare, her prosperity, her dignity, over
shadows mere personaiism. Public discus
| sion should, therefore, be elevated in it's
tone, statesmanIiiie and broad, if the object
be to enhghten the people. Ii indi' iduslism
~ to be considered paramount to the State
then we may well understand why reckless
and senseless and extravagant denunciatioi.
| has taken the place of temperate and rational
discussion. This is certainly. q most IN
precedented campaign which has for some
| time past been plscipitated upon the Demo-
| cratic party, and invites a retrospect into the
| political conditions that have produced this
conflict OF ideas and sympathles within our
| own ranks.
WE HAVE TWO FACTIONS,
one the State administration, the other the
| anti-State administration. The latter, be-
Ieying that by mere words and names the
people cepld be deceived, have appropriated
to themselves the captivating name of reform
tive, haze imposed upon their opponents the
| odl0us appellatlOn OF the ring.
| Their attempt at reformation is confined
exclusively to State affairs. Municipal af-
| fairs. in their Judgment, do not need to be
reformed, or abuses there have not been suf-
ticientiy fragrant 10 deserve their not ce, or
| there may be other reason. With reGard to
! S1aIe aftairs, when you ask them to disclose
| III their speeches what they propose to re-
| form, III order that the people may BE- III
| they are duInbfounGed. When you ask them
whether they intend to reform the levee
policy, to reform thu. educational policy, to
reform the agricultural policy, to. re-
Re ind a9sa Of P0sy ,c TO- tefo re
form our public institutions, to reform
any economic measure, to reform any do
nestle p'l!cy, which has been. advocated or
are forced to make the Illuminating conres-
sion that there Is nothing to reform, for as
yet they have never deignea to inform the
people toward the ame!iora ton of what
measure or policy their colossal efforts at re-
form are to be directed. What right have
interests of the people of Louisiana? Ii you
ask them to define what they mean by the
ring" they are startled by the most disturb
ing, emotions The vision. of i!i-starred
theirpower of definition. Ii you inform them
that ring means bossism, machine politics,
by which men peTpetllate themselves in
power even beyond q third term from this
definition they shrink aifrghted, and, hold
ing their perfumcd ,handercliiefs to their
superior noses, they thank God that they are
holler than the regular Democracy, and have
no such bosses Or machine politicians within
their anointed circle to disturb the angelic
harmony of their sanity ranks.
circumstances, which it is unnecessary to
detail, have caused the prominent candidacy
OF Gov, McEnery and Gen. Nichols for NOM
lnation for the Governorship ut the coming
Democratic convention The names of other
worthy and influential Democrats have been
urged, but we are, confronted with The fact
that the contest is between these two gentle
men. Ii we can believe the Indications that
surround us, each of them has large fol-
lowing. and is earnestly and heartily sup
ported by Large body of gooa Democrats.
The claims, the services, and the policies of
these two gentlemen, each of them having
been at the head Of the State administration,
MATTERS OF LEGITIMATE CRITICISM
before the people, who are to decide this i'm
portant contest But we must remember
that there arc great and serious qucs-
tlpns and grave problems involved
III what many improperly consider
personal controversy, and, in view of the
large and vita! interests involved, it has
seemed to me that in many instances the dis
cussion has been degraded to a very low level.
Every community and every nation, accord-
ing to Its peculiar circumstances and condi-
tons, has presented TO it questions for .solu-
ton which engage. the anxious thought OF
statesmen, Sometimes it is q question of re-
ligious difference; at others it is question
OF nationality: then, again, it is some great
economic question. Bnt they are all qnes-
tons which bring into life and energy antag-
onistic forces IN she, social order. One of the
great obstacles in the settlement OF the Irish
question Is the difference of religion among
the Irish people, who are sorely. oppressed.
short time age, two great revolutions
were accomplished that changed the face of
Europe. Those brave Italians, guided by
the craftsmanship Of Cavour, and led by the
heroism of Galibaidi, unified the Italian ma
ton, which meant the assimilation of ma
tlonslity. That great movement by which
the German Empire was consolidated, which
has made the German people one of the lead
ing and most powerful Eations Of the earth,
again illustrates the idea OF the assimilation
OF nationality, and it will be found by study
.Ns ny tLa,,
the effort has been toabring together people
who sympathiZe with each other by reason
or their religion, their nationality and their
pride of race.
Incur State we find very peculiar and Sc
rlous condition OF affairs confronting us.
Two distinct races, almost equally divided in
numbers, co-iniabit the same territory and
live under the same government and under
the sane Institutions. Il is not the fault Of
ored man-tha. race antagonism exists: it is
sentiment, an Instinct, passion beyond the
control of either. Therefore, as much rs it
may be regretted, yet owing to causes lnher-
emit In human nature itself. at any moment,
and under proyocstiuns now unforeseen, a
spark may produce a confiagration in our
midst. The dream of the Yankee crank il
tina this question can be solved BY miscegena-
ton: but my. Judgment is that. deplore it as
we may, the lnezorable logic forced upon us
BY the interchangeable and eternal laws of
human nature itself IS that we have to deter
mine whether
THE NEGRO SHALL GOVERN AND RULE
the Write man, or whether the white man
shall govern ana rule the negro That is the
question which we have to determine by our
elections and on that issue need not tell
you that every interest, every instinct of
pride. every impulse OF manhood, every ele-
ment of Caucasian civilization. every per-
sonal right, every guarantee which uphOlds
society, every function and every principle
OF representative government is directly at